SHNEAKO - Why I Refused a $20,000,000 Gambling Deal

00:00:00.000 This is why we refuse the $20 million gambling deal.

00:00:15.880 I like your gloves.

00:00:18.320 Do you know who I am?

00:00:20.440 No, what's your name?

00:00:21.600 Google something.

00:00:23.520 Can you mind if I sit?

00:00:26.320 Google the Mayor.

00:00:28.680 meatpacking.

00:00:30.680 Oh! That's me.

00:00:32.680 I like this outfit.

00:00:34.680 Very good. How long have you been the mayor

00:00:36.680 of the meatpacking district? 30 years.

00:00:38.680 30 years.

00:00:40.680 Yeah.

00:00:42.680 How come you never ran for mayor like Curtis Sliwa?

00:00:44.680 Because I was in the

00:00:46.680 90s. I was the one that

00:00:48.680 was selected by the community board

00:00:50.680 to fight against

00:00:52.680 the idea of leveling

00:00:54.680 the meatpacking and put up

00:00:56.680 80 stories, you know, buildings.

00:00:59.180 Putting the skyscrapers like near Central Park.

00:01:01.960 Yeah, it was gonna be Battery Park City number two

00:01:05.400 with 14 super skyscrapers.

00:01:12.700 So you protected, you saved the meatpacking district.

00:01:15.320 It was great to meet you, I appreciate it.

00:01:16.460 I love the meatpacking district.

00:01:17.440 What's your name?

00:01:19.780 Roberto Monticelli, it's all there.

00:01:21.440 Roberto Monticelli.

00:01:23.440 Now, I'm actually a filmmaker.

00:01:27.900 Oh, here's you with Kendrick Lamar.

00:01:29.820 Yeah, I have a medium thing with everybody.

00:01:32.860 How long have you been directing films?

00:01:35.000 Oh my God, I think for about 30 years.

00:01:37.820 30 years.

00:01:38.600 Yeah, I mean, but I took time to fight for the neighborhood.

00:01:42.860 I took time to go to Gaza and bring humanitarian aid.

00:01:46.900 Time to stop the development with ICE.

00:01:52.320 You know, I mean, I do all those things when I'm not filming.

00:01:56.960 So you're a social activist and a director?

00:01:59.080 Yeah, absolutely.

00:02:00.200 What is your secret to success?

00:02:02.240 I feel like this is my purpose in life.

00:02:06.080 And this is my purpose in life, I have to do it.

00:02:09.260 I have no choice.

00:02:10.660 Let's say the city offered you $10 million to level Meatpacking District.

00:02:15.760 Would you accept the money?

00:02:17.000 No.

00:02:17.560 Why not?

00:02:18.800 Because, I mean, the money doesn't buy me.

00:02:21.100 What buys you if money doesn't buy you?

00:02:24.100 I would say who I am.

00:02:28.100 I mean, I have no other way of being.

00:02:31.100 When they started doing the whole thing about the neighborhood,

00:02:35.100 they offered me $50,000 to developers for me to get out of the way.

00:02:41.100 That's the way they put it.

00:02:42.100 And you refused the money?

00:02:43.100 I refused the money.

00:02:44.100 Was that a difficult decision?

00:02:45.100 Yeah, pretty much.

00:02:46.100 It was?

00:02:47.100 Yeah.

00:02:48.100 I mean, having a lot of money doesn't do it for me.

00:02:53.100 But keeping who I am does it for me.

00:02:57.100 Roberto, thank you so much.

00:02:58.100 You're right, my friend.

00:02:59.100 I appreciate it.

00:03:00.100 It's great to meet you, buddy.

00:03:01.100 One of those days, we're going to be wiping the lens with our shirt all day long.

00:03:05.100 Not quite snow yet, but it's a rainy day in New York City.

00:03:18.100 so that's like a gambling deal they're offering me a lot of money don't take it if you have to

00:03:27.480 sell your soul yeah true isn't taking it selling your soul i think a little bit depends what the

00:03:32.900 contract says right your soul your principles for 20 million dollars from who like steak or

00:03:38.860 what uh rain bet any of these they're all the same are you gonna be able to still post on youtube

00:03:43.080 like you can do what you want but you're still just to activate like it's not like you have to

00:03:46.760 get you know take back shots on an island i i don't think you should i mean i understand why

00:03:53.000 people do it and i'm friends a lot of these people do you know steiny yeah i did a podcast

00:03:57.020 with steiny the day charlie kirk got assassinated and we did the podcast and it was sad and then

00:04:00.900 i watched it and it's like all right guys join prize fix link below it's like the dude just died

00:04:05.580 they're like hey here's benjamin netanyahu and here's slamming on prize fix it's like it's a

00:04:11.940 weird contrast if you don't have to take it don't take it that that would be my advice would you

00:04:16.260 Would you take it if you offered 20 mil?

00:04:17.840 I probably would, but the reason why I would do it is because my goal in life is to make

00:04:26.000 a video game company.

00:04:27.000 You would reinvest it into something good.

00:04:28.920 Absolutely.

00:04:29.920 Question, so why don't you start doing porn and then reinvest the porn money into your

00:04:33.580 gaming company?

00:04:34.580 That is selling your soul.

00:04:36.080 What's the difference between porn and gambling?

00:04:37.580 That's the problem.

00:04:38.580 The loss versus greed.

00:04:39.580 Yeah.

00:04:40.580 Those are both seven.

00:04:41.580 Yes.

00:04:42.580 The best picture. I like your gloves.

00:04:49.740 Do you know who I am?

00:04:52.940 Roberto Mantocchello,

00:04:55.400 mayor of the meatpacking district.

00:04:57.180 Do you mind, can I take down your phone number?

00:04:59.840 Yeah. You want my card?

00:05:02.000 Sure. He said he wanted my card, right?

00:05:04.880 This is the first time I asked for it. Usually people give me their card, I throw it in the trash.

00:05:08.400 I want to keep this. Thank you so much, Roberto.

00:05:10.820 I used to hang around with Tony Soprano.

00:05:21.820 James Gandolfini.

00:05:23.820 That's my favorite show.

00:05:24.820 I love The Sopranos.

00:05:25.820 He used to live in the village.

00:05:27.820 In West Village or East Village?

00:05:28.820 In the meatpacking.

00:05:30.820 873 Greenwich.

00:05:31.820 He and me were the only straight guy around.

00:05:36.820 There's a lot of gay people here.

00:05:37.820 A lot of meatpacking in the meatpacking.

00:05:39.820 exactly the two of us used to hang around together we used to go to the clubs and we had a table that

00:05:45.740 used to be called the table for the straight people it was him it was just you it was the

00:05:52.540 two of us only he was a good man james gandolfini yeah he was the opposite of tony so far we did a

00:05:59.420 film together you did here this is the movie you have a lot of paperwork right here it just keeps

00:06:04.780 No, because I just gave an interview to New York one.

00:06:11.980 But one film about the meatpacker, my God, it would be a big hit.

00:06:17.160 Because the meatpacking district is known all over the world now.

00:06:20.740 So I should make that movie?

00:06:22.060 Yeah.

00:06:22.820 Now that I have your phone number, I will send you this video,

00:06:25.140 and you can let me know if I'm full of shit or if it's good.

00:06:28.340 Okay, I don't think you're full of shit.

00:06:29.980 Otherwise, I won't be talking to you.

00:06:31.440 I appreciate that.

00:06:32.560 Prego.

00:06:32.880 You know what I mean?

00:06:33.780 Prego.

00:06:34.780 how you doing you know this is the mayor of the meatpacking district right here so you know they

00:06:39.160 tried to level the meatpacking district and build a bunch of skyscrapers here yeah and he said no

00:06:43.800 they offered him fifty thousand dollars and he said i'm not going to take your money

00:06:46.920 i don't need your money thank you again i'll be in touch i'm snico my name my name is snico

00:06:52.360 yeah he waved over he's wearing the black and red gloves what the fuck and the conversation

00:07:00.260 this happens all the time when we film i'll approach the day with an idea and the city

00:07:06.180 brings it to me i say i'm gonna make a video called is it okay to be fat and the largest

00:07:09.880 person i've ever seen in my life sits down a woman with a beard and says that this ain't fat

00:07:14.200 this peach is a cream i do a video about not taking a gambling deal and sticking true to

00:07:18.500 your principles and i meet the guy who protected the meat packing district i'll show a picture

00:07:23.480 right here these tall billionaire buildings right south of central park they go all the way into

00:07:28.980 clouds the tallest buildings probably in this country and nobody lives there they're inactive

00:07:33.460 billionaires keep it so that once a year they can visit and then do an epstein party on the top

00:07:38.180 floor other than that nobody's there and they blocked a view it's an ugly disgusting mess but

00:07:43.780 here because of roberto you have a neighborhood that has not been leveled that has not been changed

00:07:49.300 that looks relatively similar to the way it did in the 90s and keeps the soul and spirit of why

00:07:54.180 this city's great if more people took the gambling deal if more people sold out yeah they'd make a

00:07:58.820 a lot of money maybe not a lot of people will criticize them but we would lose the essence of

00:08:03.860 what makes this place great do you want a bunch of goyslop architecture

00:08:08.820 or do you want something that inspires the soul

SHNEAKO - December 03, 2025

Why I Refused a $20,000,000 Gambling Deal

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